Burden blazes to victory
Eloise Burden pulls off the fastest clear to take the top class, while a trotter x cob finds the winning formula
Cherwell Competition Centre, Oxon
ELOISE BURDEN and Beech
Hill Arthur cruised to victory in the Blue Chip Pro Sparkle JC/JA handicap by a five-second margin.
While Eloise said she “wasn’t trying to go for speed” with the 11-year-old JC, she did “cut in for a few”, earning a decent advantage over the next fastest clear from JA Lissduff Royal and Tabitha Kyle.
Competitors were battling against fading light in this 1.15m/1.20m class that had been switched to a two-phase.
“He was fine with the light. He’s used to me riding him after school,” said 13-year-old Eloise, who was fourth on this pony in the Animo winter discovery at last year’s finals.
“He came into this competition feeling he had a lot of power. He’s honest and always tries.”
Arthur has had a reduced season after having his hocks injected and developing laminitis, but has been on fighting form since his return to competition.
“Our first show was the nationals where he was second in the 1m restricted final and then he won the Brightstar at Scope,” said Eloise, who also picked up another Blue Chip qualification with a third in the Coral on Coolatooder Liath. “Next year, we’d like to do the winter JC and HOYS qualifiers on him.”
Mia Foster followed up a 90cm warm-up class win by leading a 12-strong Horse Quest UK Sapphire jump off from first draw with Matilda II.
The unusually bred 17-year-old is a trotter x cob and was bought two years ago from Jay Halim’s groom Lauren Turnbull.
“She’s hairy and occasionally you can see her breeding when she does a disunited trot/canter, but she works so hard. She’s been an absolute pony of a lifetime,” said Mia’s mother Charlotte Shore.
“She jumps whatever you ask her to and I’m not allowed to ever sell her. Mia doesn’t even like anyone else riding her!”
BIRTHDAY BONANZA
HADLEY CLARKE celebrated his 16th birthday with a win in the Horse Quest UK Coral, riding Tirnaskea Graffa Master. He produced the quickest clear of seven jump-off contenders.
“We weren’t going to come because it’s my 16th, but as we didn’t have anything else planned, we thought ‘let’s go’,” he said.
Hadley has been aiming to collect some qualifications on the seven-year-old Connemara, who has also been jumping newcomers second rounds, for when his sister Taila takes over the ride in January.
“I knew I had qualified [there were eight qualifying slots], so there were no nerves and it didn’t really matter what happened.
The bigger the fence, the better he jumps and he loves a jump-off turn,” he added.
The discovery first round and the Pikeur pony winter novice qualifier went to Darcey Foss and Matt Finish, who has proved a fantastic buy since he was found at a dealer’s yard last December.
“He ended up there as he had a bit of a bad reputation. A friend suggested we go and see him,” said Darcey’s mother Heather. “We picked him up for peanuts and he’s been an amazing pony; he’s won more often than not.”
Darcey missed the early part of this season after Heather broke her leg and was unable to drive the lorry, but has hit the ground running, coming back to collect her first Blue Chip qualifications.
“I came off on a hack and landed on my feet. My leg shattered,” said Heather.
Having cleared 1.35m in a puissance this summer, Dollys Pride was well within his scope as he took a win in the Eskadron winter discovery qualifier for Georgia Molton.
The pony spent two years in a field before 13-year-old Georgia took him over, and he has successfully introduced her to BS.
“He was a bit uncouth when we got him after his time off, but he has always been great to ride and take to a show — he doesn’t fizz up, he stands like donkey, turns and knows his job,” said Georgia’s mother Jane.